University Student Handbook

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Absence

UJ recognizes that there are times when you may miss a class or be absent due to illness or other circumstances. It is up to you and your instructor to work out problems that occur when classes are missed. The following policy is an attempt to minimize conflicts between co-curricular activities and the academic curriculum.

  1. Absence due to participation in scheduled extra or co-curricular events shall be designated as an “excused absence.”
  2. A calendar of scheduled extra- and cocurricular events shall be submitted to the President for his/her approval and then published and distributed to all students and faculty at the earliest opportunity in each semester; while it is recognized that some activities must be rescheduled on short notice (i.e., rain games in baseball), and that such rescheduling will not be reflected in this initial calendar, it will give both students and instructors a rough estimate of the number, times and participants in scheduled excused absences.
  3. Each instructor shall make known to all students at the beginning of each semester (preferably, as part of the syllabus), the policies on attendance for the class, including how attendance is used in grade computation, methods by which tests and other assignments may be made up and what notice should be given (where possible) for scheduled excused absences. This policy shall contain some provision for make-up work for excused absences; the specific procedure is at the instructor’s discretion.
  4. Instructors shall also make explicitly clear, at the first opportunity, the extent to which class participation is requisite to the learning experience in that class. Students anticipating numerous excused absences (as per the calendar in #2) should confer with the instructor; if, in the conference, it is determined the number of probable absences exceeds a number deemed reasonable for the demands of the course, the student should be advised to reschedule the course for a different time, semester or even year, when conflicts will be less evident.
  5. Students shall, at the earliest opportunity (one week prior is preferable, but may be impossible in some cases), contact the instructor to make arrangements for any exams or other assignments which will be missed, unless the instructor’s stated policy (as in #3) specifies that no prior notice is required.
  6. Any conflicts shall, whenever possible, be resolved among the student, instructor and sponsor of the event; this shall, in any case, be the first avenue of attempted resolution. If resolution is not possible, the sponsor of the event and the instructor will meet with the Provost and President, who will hear both sides and issue a ruling on the particular point in question.
  7. It shall be an on-going and consistent policy of the administration and of all persons and committees involved in scheduling extra- and co-curricular activities to make every effort to minimize conflicts with regularly scheduled classes.
  8. Each co-curricular adviser or coach shall furnish to the Provost’s Office a list of participants for any event which requires students to be absent from class. The list should be submitted at least seven (7) days prior to the event and will be distributed to all faculty by the secretary to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Leave of Absence

ACADEMIC LEAVE OF ABSENCE POLICY FOR UJ ONLINE STUDENTS

Leave of Absence (LOA) refers to a specific period during a degree program when a student will not be attending/participating in their online courses.  An LOA must meet certain requirements to be counted as a temporary interruption in a student’s enrollment rather than being counted as a full withdrawal from the university.  There must also be a reasonable expectation that the student will return to courses once the LOA has expired for the LOA to be approved. 

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be enrolled and participating in class the term preceding the beginning of the LOA.
  • Must be a degree seeking fully online student.
  • LOA application must be filed prior to completion of a student’s current 8-week enrollment term.
  • An LOA cannot be taken in the middle of an 8-week term.
  • Cannot be out of attendance for more than 180 days in a 12-month rolling period.
  • A student who does not return from an LOA will be withdrawn from UJ effective the last day of documented attendance/participation in their prior class.
  • A student can return early from an LOA by contacting the UJ Retention & Student Success Coordinator as long as a new term will start after the date the request to return has been approved.

LOA Request Process:

  • Student must initiate LOA process with UJ’s Retention & Student Success Coordinator prior to the end of their current term.
  • Student will complete an LOA form on which they will state the reason for the LOA along with the date they want their LOA to start (day after current 8-week term) and the date they plan to return to class (first day of desired term).
  • LOA must be approved by UJ’s LOA committee.
  • If approved, the LOA will officially end on the day prior to the scheduled return date.
  • The Retention & Student Success Coordinator will explain the impact of how taking the LOA will impact the student’s Federal Title IV funds as well as the terms of the student’s loan repayment obligation upon withdrawal or graduation.
  • UJ will not assess any charges to the student while on an LOA.
  • Title IV funds will not be disbursed to a student while on an LOA unless Title IV funds were already in process prior to the start of the LOA.
  • If the LOA is not approved and the student does not continue to the next term OR the student does not return as scheduled from an approved LOA, this time of nonattendance will be counted against any grace period for Title IV student loan repayment.